Monday, December 7, 2015

Should You Visit Japan on Winter Vacation?

And we're at the end of another year. Where did the year go? Time flew so fast!

It's winter again, my 4th and last winter in Japan. How I survived the last three winters amazes me.

Anyway, a couple of people have asked me if winter vacation is good time to visit Japan. I'd like to say, it depends but I'd be required to give more explanations. So, I just wrote them the pros and cons of visiting Japan in winter. I'll share here what I wrote to them.

A. Why You Should Visit Japan in Winter

1. It's a great time for winter sports.

If you love skiing or snowboarding, then by all means, come to Japan on your winter break. The snow is simply perfect at this time. You don't need to go all the way to Hokkaido. You can enjoy winter sports along the slopes of Mt. Fuji, on the mountains in Nagano or in the northern prefectures from Tokyo.

If you're planning to go shopping, don't miss the New Year's Day sales all over Japan. Prices drop to as much as 70% off. This is called Hatsu-uri. A lot of shops also offer Happy Bags or Lucky Bags called Fukubukuro. These bags contain various goods which are worth much more than what you'll pay for. (For example, if you buy a 10,000 Fukubukuro, you may get goods worth 30,000- 50,000)

Juhachi Kippu is a cheap seasonal ticket for local trains. You can go all over Japan with this ticket if you don't mind spending tons of time in the train. For only 11,800 Yen, you can ride any local train for 5 days.

Don't let the Christmas decors all around Japan fool you. People go to work on Christmas. It's not a holiday in Japan. Then Japan's New Year celebration is very quiet. No parties, no fireworks just sounds of the temple bells. The atmosphere during these times are solemn, not festive.

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